October 1st 2011

I couldn’t resist another session on Napton on the Hill this morning watching another double pass of the Space Station but I should have concentrated on Jupiter as another of its moons was reported showing making 5 visible with a pair of bins. Over a 100 Meadow Pipits went south along with a few Linnet and a Barn Owl hunting below the hill near the canal after day break. On the way home I had look at the Black-necked Grebe at Napton Reservoir but little else.
The warm nights are producing reasonable moth catches with record numbers of Grey Pine and Spruce Carpet in my trap last night while Dave caught his first locally scarce Dusky Lemon Sallow as well as his first Brick and Merveille du Jour of the year and we are both getting a few migrant Rusty Dot Pearls and Diamond- back Moths each night coming from the continent on the warm air.

Dusky Lemon Sallow

Merveille du Jour

Brick
Bob kindly got off his death bed to take photos and we witnessed the start of a mid day movement of Buzzards going over with 14 all heading south in ones and twos.

Richard